Just a Hike in the Mountains
by Jay Navi
Summary: On a regular hike in the mountains, Killua's world changes. Note: Takes place about a month after the end of the Election Arc so there will be spoilers for anime-only viewers.
1. Chapter 1

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A/N: Hello! It's been a while. First off, I want to apologize for lack of Redux updates. Despite getting all the info I needed last month, I had a continual problem with my computer. It kept freezing on me when watching videos. To make a long story short, we took it in, found it was a problem with the motherboard and now it's all better. Now, you may be asking why this isn't the Redux. Well, I need a bit more time to get inspiration for that. But it will continue. Eventually. Until then, I thought up this cute little scenario. Of course, the scenario is longer written out and it's not yet complete. I had intended this to be a one-shot, but as you know, I am terrible at one-shots so I decided to make this a short story. It really does come down to "just a hike in the mountains" but you'll find out later. Until then, enjoy!  
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Just a Hike in the Mountains

Chapter 1: "Always Wear A Suit When You're On A Date"

"Gon!" I yelled, "How much farther is it to the top?"

"Not much, Killua!" Gon yelled back, "Just a couple more flat areas and we'll be there!"

"Hurry up, Big Brother!" my sister, Alluka, yelled at me.

"I'm hurrying!" I responded.

Gon had convinced Alluka and me to go on a hike up in the mountains. I had tried to protest that I wasn't very good at hiking up hills, but Alluka was overjoyed at the three of us doing something together that I couldn't refuse. Before this, it was just me and Gon doing things alone. I had to ask someone to look over Alluka wile we went out.

I-it's not in the way that it sounds. Really! It's just friends doing things as friend, that's all. Though, I suppose in order to understand that, I'm gonna have to explain things from the beginning. At least, the beginning of my new life.

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It started when Gon, Alluka and I arrived at the World Tree, where Gon was going to meet his father. Gon and I had had a pretty rough time of it the past month or so and felt like we needed some time apart. It was tough leaving him after all the time I was by side, but I had to look after Alluka. She needed my protection because the rest of my family didn't view her the way I did.

And so, we separated with a 'see you later'. Gon started his climb up the World Tree and I took Alluka and went to another town. We stayed in town for only a few days, renting a hotel room with my Hunter's License before we moved on to the next town. It was like this for a couple weeks and I knew Alluka was getting tired of moving from place to place so I decided to buy us a house in the next town we came to. That's where we lived for a few weeks until it happened.

One day, there was a knock on the door. I opened it cautiously just a crack so I could see who it was. It was Gon. I opened the door all the way and invited him in. However, he declined.

"Sorry," he said after declining my invitation, "I just wanted to stop by and ask…if you'd…l-like to have dinner with me sometime?"

He was nervous. It was a side of him I'd never really seen before. He was always so outgoing and confident. I didn't think he could even be nervous!

"Uh, sure!" I said, "Alluka and I-"

"No!" I was cut off by Gon's sudden outburst. He suddenly got very timid again and said, "Um… I mean, I was thinking it'd just be you and me. You know… like old times?"

I blinked. I looked behind me at Alluka, who nodded, and then said, "uh, okay."

Gon suddenly became less shy and said, "Great! How about I meet you here at seven?"

"Tonight?" I asked.

"Is that not good?" He asked, suddenly becoming sad.

"N-no," I said, "Seven tonight is fine."

"Yay!" He exclaimed, "I mean… see you at seven!"

Gon ran off with a huge grin on his face. I swear, that kid had more mood swings than that old hag did when we were training with her in Greed Island. I closed the door and turned around. Alluka had almost the same expression on her face as Gon did on his.

"What?" I asked her.

"We have to get you ready, Big Brother." She said grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

We ended up at the bathroom and she started running some water in the tub. She said I needed to have a shower because I stank. I tried to protest my smelliness and she just laughed. I was confused at her laughter.

"Never mind," she said, "You just shower while I pick out some clothes for you to wear."

We had stopped at a few clothing stores in some of the towns we stayed in and bought many different outfits. All of my outfits were picked out by Alluka. As I showered, I feared which outfit she'd pick out for me. I hoped it wouldn't be embarrassing.

When I got out of the shower, Alluka held up a hanger with a suit on it. The suit jacket was blue with pin-stripes so thin that you could hardly tell they were there and the pants were matching. The tie she picked out was mostly white with blue stripes going diagonally down and around it. The shirt, thankfully, was just a plain white dress shirt.

"Is a suit really necessary?" I asked her.

"Yep," she said, "You always wear a suit when you go on a date."

I felt a bit of red coming to my cheeks. "It's not a date." I said.

"Then you won't wear the suit?" She asked, putting a fake frown on, "But I thought so hard to pick it out for you…"

"Fine," I caved, "I'll wear the suit. Now get out while I change."

She giggled as she put the suit on the bed I slept in and left the room. A date? How did she come to that conclusion? It was just two friends who haven't seen each other in a while having dinner together. That's it. I didn't think it was even possible for boys to go on 'a date'.

I put the suit on and came out of the room just as somebody knocked on the door. As I had before, I opened it a crack to see who it was and then all the way after seeing Gon. This time, Gon wasn't alone. Standing beside his was a tall woman with long black hair wearing a hat you'd see in a fashion magazine and a long coat.

"Palm?" I asked.

"Hello, Killua." Palm said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I thought you would want somebody here to watch over Alluka," Gon said, bringing my gaze over to him, "so, I asked her to come. I hope you don't mind."

"Uh, no," I said, still focusing on Gon, "Not at all. Palm, please, come in."

I stood to the side to let Palm through the door. She took off her hat and coat and I told her where to put them. My eyes kept going back to Gon, though. He was wearing a suit, as well. His suit was light green in color and he wore a tie similar to mine, but green.

I stepped out of the door and said, "Alluka, be good for Palm."

"Yes, Big Brother." She replied.

I told Palm that if anybody knocks she should check to see who it was first and then left with Gon. As we walked, we talked about all of the fun times we had on our journey. We laughed at some of them. It felt nice to just talk like that with him.

"So, did Palm pick out your suit?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No," he said, "I just thought that since this is the first time we've done something like this, I'd wear something different. That, and Aunt Mito always told me to wear a suit when you're on a-" He stopped himself and laughed, "Well, that doesn't matter."

Gon's aunt told him the same thing Alluka told me? Do all girls think the same? Or is there some magazine out there that tells them these things? More importantly: did Gon actually believe this was a date?

We arrived at the restaurant that Gon said had 'really delicious food'. He put his arm around mine and said it'd help us get a table faster. I wasn't so sure about that at first, but it did seem to work. We got a table almost immediately after we showed up and ordered our food.

I hate to say it, but Gon's description was pretty accurate because it was a good meal. I offered to pay for mine, but Gon insisted on paying. He said it was his idea to go to the restaurant so he should pay. I didn't buy that explanation but let him pay, anyway.

We left the restaurant the same way we entered, arm-in-arm. It felt a little unnatural for his arm to be around mine, but at the same time, it felt right. It felt like we hadn't been separated at all and that he was always right beside me. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't realize we had been walking arm-in-arm the whole way back to my house.

It was only when we were at the door did I realize it. I swiftly removed my arm from his. There was some silence between us, not knowing if the other should something or what to say. Finally, Gon extended his hand to me (albeit a bit awkwardly) and I took it (awkwardly).

"Uh, thanks for tonight," I said, "Let's do it again sometime."

"Yeah," Gon said, "We should."

I hit myself on the forehead inwardly for suggesting to Gon something like that. However, I felt like it was the right thing to say. I had enjoyed myself that evening and I wanted to enjoy myself again. I realized that our handshake was going on for a while so I let go of his hand and opened the door.

"Well, I'll talk to you later, then." I said as I went inside.

"Yeah," Gon said, "Later."

I closed the door behind me and called out, "I'm home."

Palm walked out of the room and put a finger to her lips. I didn't expect Alluka to be sleeping already. I asked Palm how much money she wanted for watching Alluka but she said she did it as a favour and would gladly do it again. I thanked her as she left the house and went into the room.

Alluka was sleeping peacefully. I undressed and put the suit back on its hanger. Then I laid down on my bed and went to sleep. For the first time in a couple months, I had a smile on my face while I slept.


	2. Chapter 2

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A/N: Hi, everyone! It's me! I'm back! Hooray! Now, you may be wondering where I've been this past year. Well, the truth is, I lost inspiration to work on stories. AND I had some writer's block. However, that's all changed now, hopefully! So, a little life update for everyone, I have a new nephew and niece born at the tail end of last year. I'm doing a schooling program that will end (for me) at the end of this year and hopefully after that I'll get into an actual college/university for a creative writing course. Anyway, about the chapter. I had a few "d'aww" moments and a few "ooh-hoo-hoo" moments while writing it. Heh-heh. Enjoy!  
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Chapter 2: "Breakfast"

In the morning, I was woken up by the strangest smell. I couldn't quite place the smell, but it made me hungry. I didn't know where it was coming from, exactly, but I knew that it was from inside the house. Maybe I was just dreaming the smell. It wasn't the first time I'd dreamt of some kind of delicious food. There was a light knock on my door, followed by the clicking sound of it opening and a sweet, but harsh, voice spoke from the distance.

"Big Brother!" It was Alluka. "How long are you going to sleep? Our guests will be here soon!"

_Guests..?_ I thought, _Why would we have guests? And who would come over?_

"Big Brother, get out of bed!" She shook me, trying to wake me up, but suddenly stopped and ran out of the room saying, "Coming!"

I got out of bed and put on some clothes that were just lying around. I went into the bathroom to take care of my 'morning' look. I ran a wash cloth under some warm water and scrubbed my face. I looked in the mirror to check my hair. I never really needed to do anything with it, though. When I came out to the main area of the house, I stopped.

Gon was sitting at the table. Was he the 'guest' Alluka was talking about? How did he get in the house? I'm pretty sure I locked the door last night, when Palm left. Did Alluka let him in? Wait, didn't Alluka say 'guests'? As in, 'more than one guest'? If so, who was the other guest? And where were they?

"Killua!" Gon said, breaking my thought train, "Good morning."

"Uh, yeah," I said, "Good- good morning."

I went over to the table to sit down, but Alluka intercepted me and said, "Big Brother! I have a place for you to sit!" She pushed and pulled me over to the table and sat me down right next to Gon. After I sat down, she asked, "How would you like your eggs?"

"Eggs?" I asked, "Uh… scrambled?"

"Scrambled it is!" She ran off to the kitchen, giggling.

There was a moment of awkward silence between me and Gon. Neither of us knew what to say. My mind was racing for topics to talk about. Do I bring up last night? Do I ask what his plans are for the day? Would that sound like I wanted to do something during the day? Would he think I was asking him on a date?

"Gon, I-" I started.

"Killua, I-" Gon said at the same time.

We both paused. Another moment of silence followed. This time, I was wondering if I should say what's on my mind first or if I should allow him to talk. If I talked first, would that be rude? Would Gon think that I was just being polite for politeness sake if I let him talk first?

"Killua," Gon broke the silence, "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" I asked, "For what?"

"For coming back into your life. I know you and Alluka were probably living happily until I showed up and forced myself back into your life. So… I'm sorry."

"Idiot." I said, hitting him on the head.

"Ow," he said, rubbing his head where I hit it.

"You have nothing to apologise for. Last night was fun and I've never seen Alluka so excited about something that isn't shopping. So, I don't want to hear you apologise again."

Gon smiled at me. I blushed and looked away. I had to think of something to change the subject or else he would just keep staring at me with that smile of his. God, I hated that smile. It was just so happy looking that it pissed me off for some reason. Yet, it really did feel like the way he used to look at me before the Chimera Ant incident. And it made me feel happy inside.

"We've got the food ready!" Alluka said as she and Palm came out of the kitchen.

They were carrying two plates each full of food. I could make out two pancakes, four strips of bacon and, of course, the scrambled eggs. Alluka set the plates she was carrying down in front of Gon and me. During the breakfast, we all had a chance to talk about what we had been doing since we last saw each other. We all laughed at each other's stories. That is, until it was Gon's turn.

"I found out that I can't use my _Nen_ anymore," he said with a heavy tone. He immediately tried to make it sound lighter by saying, "So, I went back home to Whale Island and spent some time with Grandma and Aunt Mito. It was a really fun time."

There was silence. Nobody wanted to say anything so we just let the mood stay until we had all finished eating. It was Palm that broke the silence by saying she'd take care of the dishes. She recruited Alluka to help, leaving me alone with Gon again.

The air was still heavy between us. Neither of us said anything for what seemed like forever, but in actuality was only a couple minutes. I knew I had to say something, but what could I say? It wasn't my fault that he lost his _Nen_. … Or, maybe it was.

"I'm sorry," I finally said.

"Eh? Sorry?" Gon asked, confused, "Sorry for what?"

"It was all my fault that you lost your _Nen_."

"No, Killua, don't say that. It wasn't your fau-"

"Yes it was!" I snapped back, interrupting him. "If only I was braver back then. If only I had the courage to stand up and talk you out of doing what you did. If only I had stopped you from fighting Pitou. But, instead, I let you hurt my pride and walked away." I started to wipe away tears from my eyes. "Dammit. I thought I was over everything. Look at me, crying like a baby over something stupid. Heh."

Just then, I felt arms wrap around me and tears hitting my cheek. It was Gon. Gon was crying. Was he crying because he pitied my stupidness? Or, maybe, he was crying because my sad story got to him? Either way, my tears weren't ending and it didn't seem like his were, either.

"Killua, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too, Gon."

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A/N: So, if you couldn't tell, it was a really short chapter this time around. I know, I know. You're thinking: "You've been gone for a year an all you give us is a tiny chapter? For shame, Mr. Navi. For shame!" And I'm sorry. It wasn't what I had originally planned this chapter to be. I had wanted a short breakfast scene followed by a full "non-date" between Gon and Killua and then a montage of "non-dates". However, I realized that the end of the breakfast scene was a really great end to the chapter. Next chapter will, hopefully, be longer. Well, that's all that I have to ramble on. Make sure to leave a review if you liked the chapter. Even if you didn't like it, you can still leave a review saying what I can improve on. Or, you could like the chapter and leave a review saying what I can do better. Then everyone wins! Hooray!  
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